by Rachel Ramsey

With these tough economic times, “couponing” has become a sport. TLC has even created a show, Extreme Couponing, capitalizing on it. This sport consumes the people’s lives and portrays the most extreme coupon users you will ever see, searching, clipping, shopping and saving a ton of money. Many people would like to save money, but do not have the time to devote to such extreme measures. Thankfully, online websites and blogs offer helpful tips and tricks for saving with coupons.

Shelley Peck of Dwight will be launching a couponing blog in January of 2012. The blog, High5Saver.com, was named by her children. Their reasoning, “every time we save big we ‘High 5,’” she explained.

According to Shelley, “Couponing was new to me until about four years ago when we moved from Florida to Illinois. I was unemployed and I felt I needed a way to contribute financially to my household. So, by couponing I was able to save money for my family and I found out that I really enjoyed doing it.”

Her blog will consist of everything from couponing, organization, money- saving tips, and thrifty ways to live and save.

“There will be actual links to coupons you can print and helpful tips on where to find coupon codes and store deals as well as giveaways and freebies,” explained Shelley. “I also want the site to be about being a mom and how to juggle everything whether you are a stay at home mom or a working mom.”

Currently, Shelley devotes about 30 minutes a day to organizing and finding deals online and in papers. She also spends approximately two hours on Sundays going through newspapers that she picks up at Dwight’s local grocery store, Berkot’s.

“I take that time to clip the coupons, organize them,
and plan my shopping trip for the week. The average person could do this. I was able to keep with this when I worked full time and kept up with my husband and three children's social calendars. I think you always get back what you put into something. So the more you put in the bigger you are going to save!,” stated Shelley.

After clipping or printing off the coupons, storing them, remembering them and using them before the expiration date can be a challenge. This is when a filing system comes in handy. Depending on what works for you, coupons can be organized by grocery category, aisle or expiration date. It’s also very important to have a landing spot for those coupons. Shelley uses recycled cardboard boxes, which just happen to be free, too.

Couponing, if done correctly, can really add up on savings. “I think the greatest amount I've saved in grocery shopping has been 90% of my bill. My total was almost $300.00 and I spent about $28.00.”

Shelley noted, “Couponing has helped our family's budget in a great way. I am by no means an ‘Extreme Couponer,’ but I will say that if it isn't on sale, clearance or I don't have a coupon for it we don't buy it.”

Furthermore, coupons are available for much more than just grocery items. “I use coupons for eating out, clothing, groceries, toys, personal items, and vacations. There are really coupons or savings available for almost everything out there,” she explained.

In fact, Shelley found a way to save big on a family vacation. “About 2 years ago my family participated in a promotion that Walt Disney World was running, called ‘Give A Day Get A Day.’ You volunteered for one of their approved non-profits and each family member that participated received a free ticket to Disney World. My entire family made baby blankets for babies and children who were patients at a hospital in Chicago. I paid about $25.00 for the material, but we saved (getting the tickets for free) $410.00. So we saved while doing a good deed!”

Shelley’s blog will also offer more than just couponing and savings advice. “Since I am a mom to a special needs child, I would like to offer great ideas and options for parents like myself that could be helpful for them when planning vacations, gift ideas, and helping them find great companies, stores, and restaurants that embrace our children and offer incentives for families like ours,” explained Shelley.

With her blog scheduled to launch next month, Shelley is preparing her helpful tips for all who will view her site. She is hoping that the local community, as well as the people on the world wide web, will be able to use her advice.

“I am excited about my blog and I hope it will reach out across the world as well as our community,” stated Shelley. “My family loves Dwight and I would really like to find great deals in our community and locally for my future blog followers. I also am hoping to plan some coupon classes in Dwight in the coming months to help people out with their shopping needs.”

This coming January, look for Shelley’s blog at High5Saver.com. To find dates and times for Shelley’s coupon classes, look on the blog or the Facebook and Twitter sites linked to her blog.